Friday, 13 April 2012
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Love Your Enemies
“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” (Matthew 5:44 NLV) “…love your enemies!”
It sounds so simple, however, for me this has been one of the most difficult teachings of Christ to act upon in my life. I have often heard that forgiving those who have wronged you is not necessarily for their benefit, but for yours, so that we do not tread this earth with heavy limbs and a heavy heart. But He does not just say to forgive them, He says to love them.
There were no exceptions to this teaching. Jesus did not say, “Love your enemies unless they have stolen from you,” or “unless they have deeply offended you”. He simply tells us to love our enemies; whether they are enemies of our hearts, our pockets, our nations, our races, or our beliefs.
I always wondered what type of “love” we were to feel toward our enemies. Certainly not the type of love we feel for our spouses, or our children, or our mothers and fathers, right? Or perhaps this simply means feeling an absence of abhorrence towards our enemies.
I feel that the sort of love we are to have toward our enemies is the type of love we should feel for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ; that no matter what they have done to offend us, they are still, before anything else, His children.
What is your take on this teaching? When have you had to love one of your enemies? What does that look like, and how does one do that?
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- From: MommaFish89@xanga
- Name: MommaFish89
- Location: Houston, Texas, United States
- About Me: I am on a never-ending quest to prove myself to myself. I would say to God but He knows me better than I do and is never surprised, but I still strive to become someone who makes Him proud. I am on an unending quest for Truth.
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Comments (10)
I also believe that forgiving and loving an enemy is for our benefit as well as theirs. I suppose I have had to love an enemy in the past week as I blocked some people. I don't know what to answer as to 'what does that look like', but I think that in the spirit of loving my enemies I will go unblock them. I won't friend them again, but I will unblock them.
Good Post. Rec from me.
I like this. You're right that the love we extend to enemies is the same love we extend to those who are dear to us. That is why Jesus and his followers have taught us to imitate our perfect Father who is good to both the just and unjust and demands that we love those who we do not commonly love, for this is unique and holy love (Matthew 5:43-48).
It seems to me that this type of love is described many times in the New Testament. Of course, we know how we treat our friends and those we have tender affections for, and what we do for them is what we ought to do for our enemies as well. Loving action consists of the behaviors that nurture life. We nurture ourselves because we love ourselves and thus we nurture others because we love them. To nurture is to express love. When we love our friends we offer them a warm embrace. Our enemies deserve the same thing within our obedience to Christ's love.
We also, are to pray for them. Too often I think people think loving enemies means we ONLY have to pray for them and then can treat them however we see fit but the scripture says to love the enemy AND to pray for the enemy. Praying for our enemy is not the end of the matter. We must bless them, not just with our lips but with our hands and feet as well.
Good post.
What's more, I don't think most Christians really believe this command and that's a huge problem.
@TheGreatBout@xanga - "I don't think most Christians really believe this command and that's a huge problem."
That is because you believe in radical obedience.... A lot of us don't obey too well:)It is also very hard for me not to punch people in the face.
I don't feel I have any personal enemies, so loving them is a non-issue.
Love this song.
But do we really have enemies?
I live in America. To be honest I can't really see how most average, American Christians really have enemies. The NIV translation and ESV translation in vs. 44 are pretty similar - but in the KJV the ones you're to love are expressed in several more specific ways (I'm no Bible scholar). I feel I follow along the same lines as @methodElevated@xanga and can't say I really have any enemies. Now Jesus obviously had people who persecuted him and wanted him dead. People all over the world, outside the relative comfort of America are truly persecuted in the pursuit of Christ.
In my limited experience, there have only been those against my opinions or disliked me for a reason or another, but no one I would consider an enemy.
I think that the problem with Christians here is the psychological impact of labeling another person as an enemy in the first place. Secondly, I disagree with MommaFish89's definition of love towards an enemy simply because of her use of 'feel'. I think that in many different ways we feel a certain way towards ones we love.But in this context, is it possible to have the same sort of bubbly feelings towards our Christ-community as we do to one we have labeled enemy?
I believe that it is more a commitment that we make following Christ's example to forgive and be ready to act in edification.
@DanceofShadows@xanga - I definitely see your point on labeling someone an enemy. I do believe that enemy is a strong word, and in these times there are more so people with whom we disagree with and who disagree with us than there are true, by-definition, "enemies". I, myself, am not a biblical scholar by any means but I wonder if perhaps the use of the word "enemy" was more of a generalized term for people whom we distrust, disagree with, or just flat out don't get along with.
To me, when I think of love, one of the things that I think of is that pure, unselfish wanting for the best of a certain person; and in wanting the best for them you wish for them to be good people so that they can make it into heaven, right? Maybe this is what Jesus meant by love; wishing no ill-will on them, wishing the best for them in this life and after?
Thank you for your comment, it really got me thinking. =)
@THE_LORDS_FREEMAN@xanga - Yes, I believe in obedience, even when it looks "radical."